If you often find yourself off by one when counting your socks after doing the laundry, you might want to sit down for this.
Scientists in Japan have now counted the number of extra—or missing— charges down to a precision of just one electron in single platinum nanoparticles having diameters only one-tenth those of common viruses.
This new process for precisely studying differences in net charge on metal nanoparticles will aid in the further understanding and development of catalysts for breaking down greenhouse and other harmful gases into fuels and benign gases or for efficiently producing ammonia needed for fertilizers used in agriculture.
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